Friday, 4 January 2013

Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe

Starting in a remote and little visited area of the Carneddau, this grand circuit of Cwm Eigiau ranks as one of the classic walks of Wales, boasting soaring ridges, narrow aretes, high mountains and stunning landscapes.....that is what the guidebook said of todays walk.... and it wasn't wrong. This is one of the finest walks that we have both been on, the landscape is stunning, rugged and remote, and add to that the fantastic weather we had today, made it one we will remember for a long time. As well as being a fantastic walk I can think of no other walk that includes two summits with such unusual names - Pen yr Helgi Du (Hill of the Black Hound) and Pen Llithrig y Wrach (Hill of the Slippery Witch)! Fantastic names don't you think but no idea why they are called that - lots of photos today and a real job to select the best, but here goes, we hope you enjoy reliving our day with us.

Todays route map below, it was 17km or 10.5miles, and with 1056m or 3465ft of ascent.

The first sight of where we were walking today, Cwm Eigiau, as we arrive not long after first light.

Beautiful Carneddau ponies

From Pant Y Gnafolen looking down towards the Dulyn reservoir

Wild Carneddau Ponies

Heading for Carnedd Llewelyn

Sharon and Holly with Melynllyn behind them

Pen Yr Helgi Du (Peak of the Black Hound)

Cloud coming in over Pen Yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig Y Wrach

Carnedd Llewelyn, the 3rd highest mountain in England and Wales

Still pockets of snow behind Sharon

Sharon and Holly on a new summit.... Foel Grach, one of the Welsh 3000's

Holly enjoying the scrambling, or rather coming down to find an easier way up

Tryfan looking very mysterious

Holly the black hound, on top of the peak of the Black Hound (Pen Yr Helgi Du)

Sharon racing to the top of Pen Llithrig Y Wrach

and taking a well earned break

A Brocken Spectre

Looking down towards Llyn Eigiau, and our route back to the car

looking back at the ridge we followed, now very much cloaked in cloud

As we passed Llyn Eigiau we couldn't help but notice the broken dam wall which burst after heavy rainfall back in 1925, flooding the Coedty reservoir further down the valley, which also burst, sending millions of gallons of water onto the village of Dolgarrog and killing 17 people. It made us think of those poor lives that were lost, very sad.

8 comments:

Apart from other reasons - photography and painting - I really do admire the adventure of you two....Well I would, being the average coward when it comes to climbing mountains especially in fog and snow.

Great stuff G+S. I hope 2013 gives you much more pleasures like this one.